On Friday, July 29, Lauren Dickason’s defence team appeared in the Timaru High Court and asked that the location of her 2023 trial—where the alleged murder of her three daughters allegedly occurred—be changed to Christchurch, where she is presently being imprisoned.
At her second court appearance, Dickason’s trial date was set for March 2023. She hasn’t seen in court since her first appearance on September 16, just days after her twin daughters, Maya and Karla, and their elder sister, Liane, were killed at a residence on Queen Street in Timaru.
According to the New Zealand Herald, Dickason’s lawyer, Kerry Beaton, told the presiding officer, Justice Mander, that due to her health issues, it was not possible to accommodate the accused in Timaru and requested that the trial be moved to the Christchurch High Court, where she is currently being held.
According to local media, Mander approved the proposal. The trial may have to be rescheduled until 2024 as a result of the change, depending on the calendar of the Christchurch High Court.
Dickason is now being confined at Hillmorton Hospital in a medium security mental unit. Dickason’s husband, Graham, dialled into the court session, according to the New Zealand Herald.
Graham is said to be returning to South Africa in November 2021. He previously stated that he forgives his wife because she was also a victim of the disaster.
A court order in New Zealand has hidden information about the alleged murders. The incident occurred only two weeks after the family arrived in TImaru from Pretoria. Both Dickasons are medical doctors.
Dickason’s defence pleaded not guilty to all three murder charges against her in October.